Thanks to the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, MMGSI is able to sponsor paid summer internships at Catholic parishes around the diocese of Cleveland. These internships have four main purposes:
1. Supporting parish-based ministries
2. Providing interns with a broad perspective on careers in service to the Church
3. Helping interns grow as spiritually mature and intellectually sophisticated leaders of parish communities
4. Assisting interns in discernment of their vocations
The summer 2026 program begins with a kickoff event on Wednesday, May 27 and ends with a wrap-up event on Wednesday, August 12.
Ready to apply? Click here! Applications are due by Friday, March 13.
Yes! Thanks to the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, each intern will be paid a total of $6,000 over the course of the summer. In addition, all costs associated with the program--tickets and parking fees for social events, books and supplies, retreat accommodations, etc.--are covered. Finally, any intern who needs to drive more than 20 miles to attend a program activity will receive a modest additional stipend for mileage.
We welcome applications from faithful Catholics who are open to careers in service to the Church. If you have completed high school and were born on or after January 1, 2001, we invite you to apply. (Seminarians and persons in formation with a religious order are not eligible.)
In summer 2026, MMGSI is offering internship opportunities at nine locations throughout the Diocese of Cleveland:
To learn more about these parishes, go here.
At the parish... Parish-based work will begin on June 1 and end on August 9. During that time, interns will spend approximately 24 hours each week in service to the parish. In most cases, interns will be "generalists," learning about and assisting the various ministries and professional support roles at their parishes. Applicants with very specific skills and/or interests may be offered internships focused narrowly on those areas of ministry.
At the seminary... Most Wednesdays throughout the summer, all interns will gather at the diocesan seminary in Wickliffe for intellectual and spiritual formation. These are not classes--interns will not be taking exams or writing research papers--but they will involve a combination of lectures, group discussions, and time for personal reflection. Interns will also be expected to complete a modest amount of reading and occasional short, personal reflection essay assignments.
On retreat... Twice during the summer, interns will participate in overnight retreats. These retreats are scheduled for June 9-11 and July 14-16. Details pertaining to the retreats will be announced.
In northeast Ohio... There will also be opportunities for social and cultural activities throughout the summer: it's likely there will be outings to a Cleveland Guardians game and area museums, as well as film discussions.
Yes! The application will permit you to indicate any scheduling conflicts you have. We hope and expect that interns will be available for the full duration of the summer program, but we will make reasonable accommodations when it is possible to do so.
We don't have specific word limits—no word counts to worry about! Different applicants will need different amounts of space to answer thoughtfully, and that's fine. Take the space you need to give us answers that feel complete to you. We're interested in getting to know you and understanding your interest in this program, so focus on being genuine and thorough rather than counting words. Quality matters more than quantity!
We do plan to interview candidates, though whether we interview all or merely some applicants depends upon the number of applications we receive.
We're happy to answer them! Please email us at mmgsi@dioceseofcleveland.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Child & Youth Protection
Our promise to protect, our pledge to heal.
To report an abuse, please contact local law enforcement and:
Kathleen McComb, Victim Assistance Coordinator
Response Services – 216-334-2999
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland © 2026
Subscribe! Sign up to receive news & updates.
1 of 22